25 Days of Camie
by ElphieThroppDG28
Summary: The 25 Days of Fic drabbles I came up with for Camie. The Syndicate belongs to BBC and Kay Mellor.
1. The Intro

The Intro

A very kind soul on Tumblr suggested I try the 25 Days of Fic with PolarBear, especially since I'd already written drabbles for them that met a couple of the prompts. After reading over the rules, I thought it would be fun to write for two pairings of mine instead of one. Thus the 25 Days of PolarBear and the 25 Days of Camie were born.

For 25 days in December (the first through the twenty-fifth), there is a Christmas-related prompt word one must use somehow in a drabble for the pairing of their choice. For me, there will be 50 drabbles total, two for each word.

Happy Holidays! :)


	2. Day 1: Mistletoe

25 Days of Camie

_Day 1 - Mistletoe_

* * *

_Monday, December 1st_

There was rather large sprig of mistletoe that was hanging on the light fixture in the front hall. Closer inspection revealed that it was plastic, with pearls instead of berries. It was tied together by a red and gold plaid bow.

"Jamie?" Cathy didn't bother to remove her jacket or her hat. "When did this get here?"

Jamie slowly descended the stairs, a lopsided smile plastered on his face. "Put it up last night after you went to bed. Like it?"

"It's pretty. But…why?"

He stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Well, about four years ago, I had my first kiss under the mistletoe with a rather beautiful woman, and to this day it's one of my favorite Christmas memories."

"You liked it that much, huh?"

"Mmm. I haven't had another mistletoe kiss since."

"How come?"

"Waiting for the right moment, I suppose. I'd love to share another one with her."

"Whatever happened to her, anyway?" She turned to face him, placing her hands on his shoulders and smiling up at him. "Did you ever find her again?"

"Well, of course I did. We're married now, in fact." He pulled her closer. "And I've never been happier." He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers.

She pulled away after a moment, resting their foreheads together. "Is this going to be a tradition with you, then?"

"I don't know. I'd have to ask her if she'd like that." He looked into her eyes. "Cathy Bradley, would you do me the honor of meeting me under every mistletoe we may come across?"

She moved closer, softly whispering, "Yes," against his lips.


	3. Day 2: Hot Chocolate

25 Days of Camie

**(inspired by godyoutosspots)**

****_Day 2 - Hot Chocolate_

* * *

_Tuesday, December 2nd_

Jamie had the day off from work and decided to accompany Cathy on her weekly trip to the supermarket. It wasn't very crowded, which gave him ample opportunities to sneak up behind her and poke her in the sides, as well as sneak candy in to the cart.

"Jamie." She sighed, pulling out a bag of red and green-wrapped Hershey's Kisses. "We have enough sweets from your mum at home."

"But we don't have enough chocolate," he whined. "Can't we get some, pleeeeeaaaase?"

Cathy shook her head, handing the bag to him. "Just go put these back, would you? I don't want you getting cavities. Why not go pick up a loaf of bread, yeah?"

Jamie gave a loud, dramatic sigh and did as he was told. He came back a minute later with a big blue box instead.

"Honey, that's not bread. What did I say about -"

"Cathy, it's hot chocolate. All we have is tea at home, and I'm sick of tea." He placed the box in the cart. "And it's got peppermint in it. I know how much you love peppermint."

"I don't know…"

"I could make you a cup when we get home." He moved closer, pressing her against the nearest shelf. "And we could sit by the fireplace…and be wrapped up in those wool blankets with the polar bears on them…and then I could slowly lift your hair…and kiss you…slowly…down…the neck…" He moved his lips to her skin, sucking softly.

"J…Jamie…"

"And maybe I can just remove anything unnecessary until all you're in is the blanket," he whispered, kissing along her jaw. "And then I'd make sweet, passionate love to you…" He crashed his lips to hers, knocking a few cans of soup down in the process.

They broke apart, looking from the cans to each other before bursting into giggles. Cathy replaced the soup on the shelf before going back to the cart. "Alright, then, we'll get the hot chocolate." She turned to look at him over her shoulder. "You've enticed me into it, Bradley. And I fully expect you to hold to your word."

He smirked, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks as he followed her.


	4. Day 3: Snow

25 Days of Camie

_Day 3 - Snow_

* * *

_Wednesday, December 3rd_

It was the first snowfall of the year. Everything was closed due to the windchill being much too low and the snow continuing to block everyone's front doors. The plows were working overtime, fighting to clear the streets.

Cathy had been feeling a bit adventurous, and since neither of them had work due to the snow, she convinced him to spend most of the day in bed with her. It was innocent enough at first; they put on their warmest, comfiest pajamas, made several cups of hot chocolate, and watched a few movies. But after taking a break to eat lunch, Cathy jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around him and crushing their lips together. Not one to pass up the opportunity to go further, he carried her to their room, kissing her back just as fiercely. They now lay naked under the covers, snuggled close together, watching as the snow continued to fall outside the window.

Jamie gave a soft hum of contentment, kissing her hair and playing with the rings on her left hand. "You warm enough?"

"Yes." She moved her head off of his chest, looking into his eyes and smiling. "You've got plenty of body heat, don't worry."

He pulled her completely on top of him, kissing her softly. "Glad I can be of service, my dear."

She rolled her eyes, snuggling into his side. He wrapped his arms around her, the two of them slowly falling asleep.

* * *

"You know we probably have to shovel our way out tomorrow, right?"

"Don't remind me."


	5. Day 4: Candy Canes

25 Days of Camie

_Day 4 - Candy Canes_

* * *

_Thursday, December 4th_

"Oh, Caaaaaaathyyyyyyyy!"

She hadn't even had a chance to remove her boots when his voice floated from upstairs. She bit her lip, trying not to laugh before she even knew what he was doing.

"What do you want, Jamie?"

"I got something at work today I think you'll liiiiiiike."

"What is it?"

"You can't look! Go sit in the living room and wait. And no peeking!"

She sighed, doing as she was told. She heard him approach her a minute later, the smile in his voice evident.

"Can I look now?"

"Of course you can."

She opened her eyes, letting out a shriek of laughter. "Oh my _GOD_."

Jamie stood in front of her in bright green boxers patterned with candy canes. The only other thing he was wearing was a red headband with two candy canes on top like reindeer antlers. He had a huge grin on his face. "What do you think?"

Cathy tried to stifle her giggles. "Who…who thought to give you that?"

He shrugged. "I guess everyone threw in a few pounds. We're doing that for all the employees this month, pooling money to buy gifts, and today I got mine. They thought it would be a nice Christmas present for the both of us."

"Did they?"

He took the headband off, setting it on her head. "These are for you. And they look much better on you, I must say."

"Awww." She stood, draping her arms around his shoulders. "I thought you were rather cute in them."

"Not as cute as you," he insisted, placing his hands on her waist. "That headband makes you that much more beautiful."

"And those boxers make you that much more irresistible," she replied, leaning closer.

"So I need candy canes to be attractive, do I?" He smirked, his lips a breath away from hers. "Mind if I take that headband back, then?"

"It's all yours," she managed to get out before he kissed her.


	6. Day 5: Christmas Tree

25 Days of Camie

**(inspired by my friend Katie)**

_Day 5 - Christmas Tree_

* * *

_Friday, December 5th_

Fridays were half-days for Cathy, and since Jamie got off at two, they decided to go shopping for a Christmas tree. They weren't looking for anything specific, just something that would fit into their flat without leaving too many needles all over the place.

Jamie had an unusual sense of taste, and of course was drawn to every brightly-colored tree he saw. "We could get a white one. Or a blue one. Oh, wait, no, THIS ONE!" He scampered to a large hot-pink tree in the middle of the display, with huge ornaments and silver tinsel.

Cathy shook her head. "Honey, those aren't very tasteful." She turned toward a smaller, plain green tree. "Why don't we get a normal one instead?"

"These are plenty tasteful." Jamie pouted slightly, folded his arms. "Remember I had one last year?"

"You don't have to remind me." She cringed. "Sweetie, I think that -"

"You hated it, didn't you?"

"What?"

"My tree last year. You didn't like it."

"Well…I didn't hate it." She cleared her throat. "It just wasn't my cup of tea, that's all."

"Then what is? Some scraggly-looking green twig?"

"It's not a twig, it's a _tree_." She frowned. "And we're getting it."

"No, we're not." He matched her glare. "We're getting one of these trees."

"I won't have our friends coming over and seeing something so…_ugly _in our living room!"

"For your information, our friends _loved_ my tree last year. And I'm getting another one!"

"No, you're not!"

"Watch me."

They stood silently for a moment before Cathy shook her head. "Screw it. Get whatever tree you want. I'm not going to do this." She turned around and began walking away.

"Cathy?" Jamie followed her, suddenly confused. "Where are you going?"

"I need some time to myself, okay?" She sighed. "Just don't follow me."

"Where are you going?"

"It doesn't concern you."

"Cathy -"

"I'll see you later." She walked out of sight, leaving him standing in the middle of the aisle, hurt and heartbroken.

* * *

He knew she'd be at the library. That was where she always went when she needed to gather her thoughts without any distractions. He pulled into the very front, honking the horn of his car.

"What the hell?"

"Oi! Buddy! What do you think you're doing?!"

"You can't park there!"

He didn't move, just kept honking the horn. Someone had to come out and reprimand him sooner or later.

Sure enough, one of the librarians walked through the revolving doors, her mouth set into a thin line. "Sir, I encourage you to please take your…exertions elsewhere."

"Can you check if someone's in the library for me? Catherine Bradley?"

"I'm a librarian, sir, not public relations."

"Can't you page her? Or something? Please?"

He must have been looking awfully pathetic, because she gritted her teeth and sighed, going back into the building. At first, he wasn't sure if she'd go through with his request. He continued to sit in the car, people staring at him in curiosity.

And then she came out. She stopped, her mouth open, her eyes wide. He got out of the car and walked up to her.

"I decided to compromise," he said with a smile.

"Is…is that a real tree?" She pointed to the evergreen strapped to the top of the car.

"Yep. I've never had a real one. And it's the right size for the living room." He smirked. "But you have to promise I can put some of the ornaments on, no matter how garish they may look."

She nodded, looking from the tree to him. "Thank you. I…I don't know what to say."

"Then let me do this, then." He kissed her soundly, the crowd of people around them applauding.


	7. Day 6: Angel

25 Days of Camie

_Day 6 - Angel_

* * *

_Saturday, December 6th_

He really didn't want to do this. He tried to get out of it all day, claiming he was tired from work and he wasn't up for it. But she wouldn't listen to him.

"Cathy, I don't want to."

"Jamie, this will be good for you, alright? Besides, everyone is perfectly nice. They'll love you!"

They walked through the front doors of St. Joseph's, dipped their fingers into the baptismal font, and sat down in one of the various pews.

This was the first time Jamie had stepped foot in a church in years. His parents hadn't required the family to go all that often, and they attended occasionally for Christmas or Easter. His mom was trying to start the habit again, but Jamie hadn't seen the need to. All he did was sit around and doze off while everyone else said prayers and sang. What was the point?

Cathy had tried for a while to get him to go with her, and he'd never gave in, not even when they'd been dating. But he knew, sooner or later, she'd find a way, and she'd promised him he wouldn't have to come on Christmas Eve if he came tonight. She'd given him The Look, the one where she widened her eyes and batted her lashes and gave him her sweetest smile. No matter how strong he was, Jamie Bradley was no match against that look.

And here he was, trying to follow the congregation as they sang and sat and stood and prayed and kneeled and…when had church ever been this vigorous? He didn't remember any of this.

"Have you had your first communion?" Cathy whispered as they went out into the aisle.

"Um…yes?"

"Just checking."

He turned his head, giving her a look when she pointed at a little blond girl crossing her arms over her chest. The priest, instead of giving her a host, put his hand on her head and blessed her.

As he was receiving his…what was it…a bread circle with a cross on it…there was a name…started with a u, maybe? Whatever it was, the girl was looking at him with a smile. He looked away, going back to his seat. She kept staring at him, and he shifted uncomfortably, turning his attention to Cathy as she sat next to him.

"Is it almost over?"

"Yes, Jamie. Only a few more minutes, okay?"

Only it wasn't. After the final prayer and song, Cathy had to go and talk with her church friends, and he went to stand over by the nativity display in the middle of the corridor. He studied it for a moment, frowning. All the figures were turned inward, toward the manger where a porcelain baby Jesus was. That was why they celebrated Christmas. For one little baby who did nothing.

"Hello, sir!"

He jumped, turning to see the little girl smiling up at him. He nodded, turning back to the figures.

"You like the nativity?"

He shrugged. "It's nicer than the one my mum has."

"It's pretty. That's my favorite part of Christmas. There's a live one every Christmas Eve, did you know that?"

He grunted, not turning to look at her.

"Are you Mrs. Bradley's husband?"

He sighed, turning to her again. "Yes."

"She's nice. And pretty."

"Yes, she is."

"Why don't you ever come to church with her?"

"She doesn't make me."

"But you're married, aren't you?"

"So?"

"So why don't you come to church?"

"Don't feel like it."

"Why not?"

"Shouldn't you be with your mum or something?"

"Is it boring? I know it is sometimes, but not all the time."

"Look." He sighed again. "Why…why are you over here? Don't you have a family to go home with? Don't you have friends?"

Something changed in her expression; he swore she suddenly looked older. "What's the real reason you never come to church, Jamie Bradley?"

"Why do you want to know?" He blinked. "How…how do you know my…?"

"Mrs. Bradley talks about you all the time." Her gaze hardened. "You don't think there's a point to church, do you?"

"I…I guess you could say that, yeah."

"Why? What's so horrible about it?"

His eyes fell on the baby Jesus once more, and something in him snapped. "I don't see the point in worshiping a guy we can't see. How do I know he's even there? What do I owe him? He's done nothing for me."

"That's not true -"

"Oh yeah? Then why did he let my dad leave? Why did he let me get into drugs? Why…why…did he let me crash my car?"

The girl didn't say anything for a moment, just let him take a deep breath. When he'd calmed down, she said, "I'm sorry you feel that way, Jamie."

"Well, you wouldn't be the first."

"Do you know that God loves you?"

He frowned. "Yeah, I'll bet he told you that, right? Well, go tell him that I don't want his sympathy, or whatever he's selling."

"I don't think I can do that."

"Just…" He ran a hand over his face. "I'm going to find my wife."

"Jamie, listen to me."

He wasn't sure what it was, but something kept him there, looking at her. "What?"

"What did you say?"

"I said I'm going to go look for my wife. Is that okay with God?"

Her eyes were cold. "Please don't be so disrespectful, alright? I have something to say."

"Fine." He crossed his arms. "I'm listening."

"You have to know that God loves you, Jamie Bradley. Even if you don't think so, He does." Her eyes softened. "Bad things happen to everyone, and there's nothing anyone can do about it."

"I thought God took care of all that."

She smiled sadly. "There are things even He isn't capable of. But you know what? God feels your pain. He knows you're sad. And while He can't prevent all bad things happening, He can bring good things out of them."

Jamie's frown fell. "You…you mean…"

"I'm sorry about your dad, and that you had a few rough patches in your life. Just remember what God brought out of that."

What was this kid talking about? She wasn't making any sense. Jamie shook his head, looking around the crowded hallway until his eyes scoped out Cathy; she was chatting animatedly with a few women, her face lit up in a way he'd never seen before.

And then he knew what the girl meant.

"Think about it, Jamie. Where would you be if none of the bad things had ever happened?"

But this was crazy. It couldn't be…

"God hears you. He knows what you need. And He gives it to you."

It had to be true. Somehow it was.

He turned back to the girl. "Who are you?"

"My name is Ariel." She smiled. "It was nice to meet you, Jamie Bradley. Happy Christmas."

"Wait…"

"Jamie!" He turned to see Cathy approaching him. "Sorry I took so long. Martha wouldn't stop talking. Were you fine over here?"

"Yeah, I was just talking to…" He turned, and the little girl was gone. "…someone. Is…is there a little girl named Ariel that goes here?"

"Oh, you met her?" Cathy smiled widely as they walked toward the doors. "Isn't she cute? She's very wise for her age. I hope she didn't startle you too much."

"No…she…she gave me something to think about." They walked outside, Jamie holding her close, kissing her forehead. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"Well…yes, but…"

"Because I love you so much. More than you'll ever know."

"Jamie, are you feeling alright?"

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I?"

She giggled. "I don't know. But…I love you, too." She gave him a quick kiss, opening the passenger door of their car.

Jamie gave one last glance at the church before starting the ignition, hearing the bells ringing as they drove home.


	8. Day 7: Pie

25 Days of Camie

_Day 7 - Pie_

* * *

_Sunday, December 7th_

Jamie woke up to an empty bed, no sign of his wife anywhere. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, sighing; he'd been hoping to spend the morning in bed with her. He pushed himself up, walking out the door and down the stairs.

Cathy was in the kitchen, sitting on the island and swinging her legs. There was flour all over the counter, as well as on her face and in her hair. She was staring at the oven, which had something in it; something that smelled like pumpkin.

"Sweetheart?"

She jumped, falling off the counter with a thud. "Ow…"

He hurried to her side, taking her in his arms and bringing her to the couch in the living room. "Sorry about that," he said, sitting next to her. He ran a hand through her hair, scattering flour. "Why weren't you in bed this morning?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise." She smiled sheepishly. "I baked you a pie. Pumpkin, because I know how disappointed you were that we didn't have any at my mum and dad's on Thanksgiving. And since neither of us work today, I…I figured I could quick make it before you woke up and noticed I was gone."

Jamie felt himself smile, bringing her to his chest and scattering her face with kisses. She started to laugh, trying to push him away.

"Jamie, what are you-"

"You're honestly too adorable for your own good, you know that?" He brushed the flour off of her cheeks, the powder settling in the air. "You should probably go shower so we don't cover the entire flat with grit, yeah?"

"The pie won't be done for another fifteen minutes…"

"I'll take it out, hun. You go get yourself cleaned up." He kissed her forehead. "I'll take care of it."

Jamie ended up tidying up the kitchen while Cathy was upstairs, and as soon as he set the pie on the counter to cool, he tiptoed up the stairs, catching his wife by surprise again just as she was dropping her towel from around her body. Instead of leaving, he pressed her against the wall, snogging her senseless.

They quickly moved downstairs, Jamie removing his own clothing as they did so. Hopping up onto the island, Cathy pulled Jamie closer, wrapping her legs around his waist.

A while later, they sat on the couch, wrapped in a wool blanket, watching movies and eating the entire pie.


	9. Day 8: Tinsel

25 Days of Camie

_Day 8 - Tinsel_**  
**

**(inspired by my friend Katie)**

* * *

_Monday, December 8th_

Jamie stopped by the hardware store on his way home from work to pick up some hooks for the tree. He and Cathy spent the rest of the evening decorating it, listening to Christmas music and dancing around.

"He sees you when you're sleeping," Cathy sang quietly, "he knows when you're awake…"

"Damn. Santa's a right perv, isn't he?"

"What do you mean?"

Jamie shrugged. "I mean, he knows your sleeping habits, he knows if you've been behaving yourself, and you'd better be good…or otherwise he might punish you." He quirked his eyebrows. "Santa's really stressing that part."

"Jamiiiie!" Cathy slapped his arm. "Stop ruining innocent Christmas songs for me."

"That's not the only one. What about 'Baby It's Cold Outside'?" He grabbed a handful of tinsel, draping it over his shoulders like a boa. "That guy really wants that girl to stay…wonder what he's got planned for them…"

"Jamie, come on now…"

"Or the Madonna song? With Santa coming down the chimney? Why do you think she wants to see him, huh?"

"Jamie, seriously…"

"Or what about 'Let It Snow'? You could say that -"

"James Andrew Bradley!"

"What?" He batted his eyes innocently at her. "It's not my fault. They sort of set that up on their own."

"Just keep putting tinsel on the tree, okay?"

He sighed dramatically. "Fiiiiine." He sauntered up to her, laying some tinsel around her shoulders. "Then you have to let me put as much of this on the tree as I like."

She rolled her eyes. "Are you intent on blackmailing me this Christmas?"

"What else would I do?" He winked. "Especially since I'm good at it," he added, leaning in to kiss her.

She giggled, smiling into his lips. "We're not even close to being done," she mentioned as they separated. "We should get going on this."

"Jingle Bells" came on the radio. "You know," Jamie began.

"Don't even start, Jamie."


	10. Day 9: Ice Skating

25 Days of Camie

_Day 9 - Ice Skating_**  
**

* * *

_Tuesday, December 9th _

Stuart and Leanne had invited them to go ice skating, which meant each of them had to raid their parents' attics for skates. Jamie made a big show in picking Cathy up from her office, waiting in the reception area with his skates over his shoulder.

"We're going skating," he said to the receptionist. "Training for the Olympics, you know. We're very serious about it."

Of course, he failed to mention that neither of them were very athletic and would spend most of the time on their behinds.

"Should have worn sweats, dear," Cathy quipped as Jamie slid on his knees. "Your jeans are going to be soaked."

"That's the fun of it!" He steadied himself against the wall of the rink, inching toward her. "It gives me an incentive not to fall so much."

"You're not the one who has to wash them."

"It's water!"

"It's water concentrated with dirt and grime."

He nudged her. "Don't be such a killjoy."

"Then don't give me a reason to kill the joy."

He picked her up, spinning around and causing both of them to fall over. They lay on the ice for a moment, laughing and trying to get back up.

"Uncle Jamie! Uncle Jamie!" Jack stumbled over to them. "Dad's taking a break, so can you play cowboys with me?"

"Sure, kiddo." He picked himself up, pulling Cathy to her feet. "You'd better run! I'm gonna get you!"

Cathy watched the two of them with a small smile, slowly becoming lost in thought. Jamie was skating after Jack…no, not Jack. This boy was a brunette, and he was much smaller. He had her face and his eyes, and he collapsed into giggles as Jamie caught up to him. And she was sitting on a bench nearby, smiling as they skated up to join her. The boy was in Jamie's lap, falling asleep; Jamie was smiling at her, kissing her and rubbing her swollen belly…

And suddenly she could actually _feel _his lips on hers. She jumped, slipping and flailing her arms. He caught her easily before she hit the ice.

"Dozing off is a bit dangerous, don't you think?" He smirked, kissing her forehead. "Leanne made hot chocolate if you want some."

"Sure…" She absently followed him, still off in her own world.

Later that night, she bit her lip before asking, "Do you…ever think about kids?"

He was silent before he shrugged. "Yeah, of course." He quirked an eyebrow. "I know you don't like doing anything on weeknights, but if you really to…"

"I meant eventually. Like…soon. Or…I don't know." She sighed. "I just don't…"

"He or she will have a wonderful mother, don't you worry." He pulled her to his side. "And if it's a boy, well…he'll have my stunning good looks, obviously."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Of course."

He gave her a lingering kiss, turning out the light. "Good night, Cathy. I love you."

"Good night, Jamie. I love you, too."


	11. Day 10: Frost

25 Days of Camie

_Day 10 - Frost_

* * *

_Wednesday, December 10th_

Jamie loved playing with the frost that accumulated on the windows. He'd use the eraser end of a pencil and trace goofy shapes or leave cute messages for Cathy.

"Jamie, please don't. That leaves a mark on the windows."

"You won't let me write on the mirror after a shower, so I have to let my creativity expand elsewhere." He added petals to the flower he was drawing. "Besides, it's not like I'm immature and draw dirty things."

"I know, but I don't want you ruining the glass. The lines stick and won't come off."

"My mum used to say the same thing when I was younger." He rolled his eyes. "They're my windows, I can do what I want."

"Can't I just buy you drawing paper or something? If you really want to, I can get that for you for Christmas."

"Cathy-"

"And get you some pencils, as well."

"Cathy, you don't-"

"And I also have to get something for the glass. Maybe there's something at the hardware store that will take the stains off-"

"_Catherine_."

She blew air out of her mouth, taking a seat beside him. "I just want our flat looking nice, is all."

"I know." He brushed hair from her forehead. "I won't draw on the windows anymore, alright? I'll find some paper to doodle on."

"Thank you, Jamie." She glanced at the frost. "That's a pretty flower, though."

"You think so?"

"Yes." She gently placed her fingers on the glass for a moment. "I like it."

"Consider it an early Christmas present, then."

"Thank you, Mr. Bradley." She giggled, kissing him.


	12. Day 11: Eggnog

25 Days of Camie

_Day 11 - Eggnog_

* * *

_Thursday, December 11th_

Cathy came home from work in a very irritable mood. She made an effort to stomp the snow off of her boots as loudly as she could, flinging her coat, hat, gloves and scarf onto the bench that sat below the coat rack.

"How was work?" Jamie asked from the couch.

"Horrible." She balled her hands into fists. "The appointment I sat in on this morning was hard to listen to, considering the client refuses to listen to the therapist about anything. And then I had to listen to Tabitha Richards whine about how her new boots were ruined because she wore them outside and didn't spray them first. And apparently no one invited me to the staff party that was yesterday, so I got to hear all about how much fun they had. And to top it all off, someone had the decency to spill eggnog all over my blouse." She sat next to him with a huff, crossing her arms.

Jamie leaned forward, sniffing her. "At least you smell nice. Cinnamon, right?"

She nodded. "Non-alcoholic, extra frothy."

"We should get some."

"I hate eggnog."

He sighed, playing with her hair and kissing her. "I'm sorry you had a bad day, sweetheart. You need me to do anything?"

"Nah, you don't have to." She stood, walking toward the stairs. "I'm going to change my shirt, alright? I'll be right back."

She had a feeling she couldn't leave him alone for very long without him doing _something _that would make her smile or roll her eyes. Sure enough, as soon as she descended the stairs, she heard Christmas music coming from the living room. Jamie was standing in the middle of the room, his hand outstretched.

"May I have this dance?"

She couldn't help the fluttering of her heart as she allowed him to take her into his arms, holding her close and singing softly in her ear. She appreciated that he was always there with his little gestures, and didn't demand that he take her mind off of things simply by taking her to bed. He somehow knew exactly what she needed.

"You wanna order in tonight?" he asked. "We can get Chinese."

"As long as we get extra sweet and sour chicken." She smiled, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

"You look very beautiful when you smile," he whispered, kissing her softly. "And you still smell like cinnamon."


	13. Day 12: Cider

25 Days of Camie

_Day 12 - Cider_

* * *

_Friday, December 12th_

Jamie came home from work with a gigantic grin on his face. And of course, Cathy had to ask him what he found so amusing.

"Got a huge tip today," he said, chuckling. "A few middle-aged women apparently gave me extra money 'for being a well-bred young man'. So I ran to the store and got some cider to celebrate."

"You bought cider because some women gave you money for being hot?"

"Pretty much."

She was silent for a moment before doubling over, laughing. "Jamie, that is the most ridiculous thing I think you've ever done."

"Hey! You're one to talk. You must be thankful I'm a hunk, you _are _my wife."

"But, Jamie…it's…it's like stripper money!" She tried to take a breath between her laughter. "I mean…that's…that's just…"

"Well, I thought it was nice of them." He folded his arms, pouting. "Maybe I should just go see what they're up to tonight. I'm sure they'd be glad to share my bottle of warm cider with me."

"Jamie, I'm teasing you. That was…very kind of them." She snickered, hugging him around the waist. "I love cider."

"Well, you're not getting any. You're being mean, and I'm not sharing unless you apologize."

"Sweetie, I'm sorry, okay?" She shook her head.

"That's not sincere," he said, keeping his arms folded. "I want you to really mean it. I can get money for being nice and cute, and that's not-"

He was cut off by her lips on his, and she pushed him against the nearest wall, jumping into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer, allowing her to snog him until he saw stars behind his eyelids.

They broke away, and he tried to catch his breath. She raised an eyebrow, smiling seductively.

"Am I forgiven?" she whispered.

He nodded.

"Good. Now let's break open that bottle."


	14. Day 13: Peppermint

25 Days of Camie

_Day 13 - Peppermint_

* * *

_Saturday, December 13th_

One of Cathy's favorite scents was peppermint. She always had a few candies in her purse, she always bought peppermint candles during the holidays, and there was a cup of candy canes on her desk at work. Jamie even made sure to purchase hot chocolate with peppermint bits mixed in.

She'd never actually said why she loved it so much; he just knew that she did. He'd been meaning to ask her, but the question kept slipping from his mind.

But today he'd ask. They were on their park bench, enjoying the oddly-mild December weather. There was a comfortable silence before he cleared his throat.

"Hey, Cathy? I've been meaning to ask for a while, but what's so special about peppermint? Why are you so fond of it?"

Her cheeks grew redder than they had been, and she didn't meet his gaze. "Um…I just do. It's…it's nice, you know…"

"I sense a story…" He raised an eyebrow.

"It's nothing, really…"

"Come on, tell me!" He pouted slightly.

"No." She buried her face in his shoulder. "It's embarrassing."

"Please?" He lifted her chin, giving her his puppy-dog eyes. "I promise not to laugh."

She stared at him for a few seconds before she sighed. "Fine. It's…it's a bit of a family joke, really." The blush on her face steadily grew. "I…I was about three-and-a-half, and we always visited my grandparents' house a few days before Christmas to bake cookies. Well, I was too young to actually do anything, so I wandered around and found my way to one of the candy bowls on the coffee table. And…um…" She squeezed her eyes shut, mumbling something.

"What?"

"Ismffsmpprmsdnmps."

"What?"

"_I stuffed some peppermints down my pants._" She bit her lip. "I wasn't supposed to take more than one piece, and I knew that. But I guess the peppermints my grandmother made had a distinctive smell, so…my parents and Emma caught on when we got home."

Jamie was fighting the giggles that bubbled in his chest. "Is that all?"

"When I was old enough, I figured out that I actually really liked peppermint, so…"

He let out an involuntary laugh, clapping his hand over his mouth. "Sorry. I just…" He smiled. "That's hilarious."

Her face was still bright red as she peered up at him. "Glad you think so. You're the only person outside my family I told." She smiled a little. "Mum almost told Tommy, my first boyfriend, when we had peppermint ice cream one night."

"I'm honored." He pulled her closer, kissing her forehead. "And I'll make sure to tell that at every family gathering we go to."

"Jamie, you wouldn't!"

"You know me." He winked, kissing her softly. "Mmmm, you even taste like peppermints…"

She slapped him, trying to pull away, but he kept a firm grip on her. "You little bastard," she mumbled.

"Love you too, hun."


	15. Day 14: Gingerbread

25 Days of Camie

_Day 14 - Gingerbread_

* * *

_Sunday, December 14th_

Joyce had decided to invite her youngest son and his wife over for a gingerbread cookie-baking day since she was watching Jack and Daisy while Stuart and Leanne went shopping. Of course, this was the perfect opportunity to badger Jamie about how things were fairing on his end.

Cathy was playing with Daisy when she started in. "You two are eating enough, right?"

"Yes, Mum."

"And you're getting at least eight hours of sleep?"

"Of course, Mum."

"You're not keeping her up at night, are you? I know how you are, Jamie, but I don't care if you're easily excited, the poor girl needs rest-"

"_Mum!_"Jamie felt heat rising to his cheeks.

"I'm just saying." The oven beeped, and she put on her oven mitts. "I don't want you being too overbearing on her."

"I'm not." He walked toward his wife and his niece. "You worry too much."

Once the gingerbread had cooled, Jack and Daisy were allowed to decorate them with M&Ms, chocolate, and any other candy Joyce had in her cupboard. Jamie was feeling a bit cheeky and put some frosting on his finger, poking Cathy's nose.

"Jamie, what was that for?"

He shrugged. "So I can do this." He kissed her nose, gently licking the frosting off.

She shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder about you. And you have frosting on your lip."

"Well, you know how to get rid of it, don't you?"

Despite her reluctance, she smiled, kissing him.

"Eeeeewwwww!" Jack and Daisy squealed, retreating to the living room with a handful of cookies.

"Come on, you two." Joyce swatted her son on the arm. "Save that for the bedroom, yeah?"

Breaking apart, Cathy blushed, averting her eyes. Jamie turned toward his mother, clearly annoyed. "Mum…"

"What? I was young once, I know what goes on. Cathy, dear, he's treating you right, isn't he? You can tell me if he isn't."

"Mum, shut up-"

"He's fine, Joyce-"

"I just want you two to be happy. I'd hate to think otherwise." She started to wipe down the counter. "And speaking of that, are you still using contraceptives?"

Cathy choked on the water she'd been drinking. Jamie glared at Joyce.

"MUM! Seriously!"

"I'm not getting any younger, Jamie! It'd be nice if I had some grandchildren from you at some point."

"We're not even…I just…" Cathy stuttered. "It'll happen when it happens."

"And what even makes you think I want to give you grandkids?" Jamie half-joked. "You spoil Jack and Daisy enough as it is."

"I know, I'm just teasing you." Joyce smiled. "But I expect to be the first to know once Cathy's finally pregnant, you hear?"

Cathy's face was positively crimson, and Jamie muttered, "I think it's time for us to go."

The car ride home was silent, and once they were settled on the couch, Cathy broke it. "That was…interesting."

"Sorry about that. My mum can be very…nosy."

Cathy snuggled closer to him. "You're…you're happy, aren't you?"

"Of course I am." He smiled down at her. "Are…are you?"

She returned his smile as he leaned in to kiss her softly. "Completely."


	16. Day 15: Presents

25 Days of Camie

_Day 15 - Presents_

* * *

_Monday, December 15th_

Cathy still hadn't gotten Jamie his Christmas present yet. She wasn't even sure what to get him. She'd gotten him a tie the year before, but she wasn't going to be predictable and get him another one. As much as she loved him, she just didn't know what to get him that would make his eyes light up and that beautiful smile of his appear…

"You could always tell him you're pregnant," her co-worker, Cindy, suggested. "I know my husband was definitely surprised when I told him last year."

"I'm not, though. I can't lie to him."

"Why not? It's not like you're never going to be, so why not fudge the lines a bit?"

Cathy shook her head. "No, I can't do that to him. We…we've already had enough drama to last us a lifetime."

Cindy sat for a minute, lost in thought. "Why not get him one of those nice pen sets? The personalized ones with his name on it?"

"What is he going to do with them? He doesn't have a desk, he works at a coffee shop."

"Get him coffee, then!"

Cathy threw up her hands. "This shouldn't be this difficult. I honestly cannot believe this is so damn hard."

"It would be easier if men were women," Cindy quipped. "I'd just by Tom jewelry every year."

Jewelry. Why hadn't she thought about that before? "That's it…that's it, Cindy!"

"What? No, you can't be serious!"

"Thanks for your help!" She grabbed her lunch bag, heading back to her office. "I know what I'm going to get him now!"

"I was joking, Cathy! Men don't need that sort of thing! CATHY!"

* * *

It was a bit odd to do, but she figured it was worth it. She knew Granddad still had Grandmum's earring on a chain, and he never took it off, not even to go to sleep.

She sat on a bench in the mall, gazing at the little bracelet she'd just bought. It had many empty connectors dangling off of it, with one little snowflake in the middle, spinning slightly. She'd have to go through her jewelry box when she got home and find that earring that had lost its mate long ago…it was stunning, but she couldn't wear it, not without the other one. And now she finally had a place for it.

Her hip buzzed, signalling she had a text from Jamie.

_Just got done wrapping your present! You're going to love what I got you this year. Too bad you can't open it for another week. ;)_

Rolling her eyes, she smiled and got up. She'd been thinking the exact same thing about him.


	17. Day 16: Fireplace

25 Days of Camie

_Day 16 - Fireplace_

**(inspired by this post):**

"Imagine your OTP finding themselves in the mood after coming inside from the cold. The problem is, layers of clothing separate them from each other, so they laugh as they peel off layer after layer quickly until they can feel each other's bare skin." (x)

* * *

_Tuesday, December 16th_

It was the last day of Cathy's interning for the year, which meant she got home around the same time Jamie did. Since it had begun to snow that afternoon, they decided to go to the large area of land across the street and play in the snow. An hour later, both of them were freezing and decided to head back in. They stood in the entryway, laughing about how silly they looked with red noses and wet hair.

And then they grew quiet, just looking at each other with huge smiles. They both leaned in, their lips meeting gently, and then not so gently, pulling each other closer.

"Jamie…we can't really…" Cathy poked his jacket. "At least…"

"Well, then, this should be fun." He grinned, kissing her nose. "It'll give me practice for Christmas."

They spent the next couple of minutes uncovering each other, throwing their wet outdoor wear in the hallway before they started moving to the living room. They were down to their long underwear when Jamie began to throw various cushions and pillows on the floor by the electric fireplace, flipping the switch to turn it on. By the time the heat was circulating the room, the two of them were completely naked. Jamie carefully lay Cathy beneath him, his breathing becoming heavier as she kissed along his collarbone.

After a blissful evening making love, the two of them continued to lay in front of the fire, snuggled in a wool blanket. Around 10:30, Cathy started to sit up, stopping when Jamie kept a firm grip on her waist.

"Where are you going?"

"To bed. You have work tomorrow morning, remember? And I need to run some errands…"

"So? I'm perfectly comfy right here." He gently tugged her back down beside him, pushing her hair out of her face. "Can't we sleep down here tonight? Please?"

"And leave the fireplace on all night? Is that safe?"

"It'll turn off as soon as the room reaches a certain temperature, remember?" He pulled her closer, kissing her softly. "Don't tell me you'd rather sleep in our bed by yourself."

"Of course not." She ran her fingers down his jaw, tracing his stubble. "It's actually quite comfortable here."

"Yes, it is." He smiled, kissing her again.

They soon fell asleep, the snow continuing to fall outside their window.


	18. Day 17: Stockings, Socks

25 Days of Camie

_Day 17 - Stockings/Socks_

* * *

_Wednesday, December 17th_

Jamie had woken up early that morning, making sure not to disturb Cathy from the pile of cushions they'd slept on. He'd given her a soft kiss on the forehead and whispered, "See you later, sweetheart. I love you," before heading off to work.

Since he'd be the only one working for the next few weeks, he'd taken a few extra hours each shift to make sure they had extra money and wouldn't have to ask his mum or her parents for any. He and his coworkers made moderately good tips on a regular basis. Jamie had been thinking, however, about the generous amount he'd received last week. He'd had some left over, sitting in his pocket. And the more he mulled it over, the more he wanted to see if using his charm would really work to make him some money.

Luckily, he was manning the register today, and there were plenty of women who came in. Slipping his left hand out of view, he made sure to arch his eyebrows and broadcast his lopsided smile, throwing in a compliment here and there about someone's hair or maybe her scarf and how it went with her eyes.

It had been a very long time since he'd been able to do this, and if he was honest with himself, he missed it. Since dating Cathy, he hadn't had the chance to flirt with anyone else. Not that he'd wanted to, of course, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to practice on customers. Half of them weren't even regulars; he wouldn't be seeing them again soon.

"One medium vanilla decaf coming right up, miss," he said to the woman in front of him. "Shouldn't take too long."

"Oh, it's worth the wait," she said, eyeing him with a smile.

"That it is." He gave her a wink. "And what can I get for you, little miss-"

"Hello, Jamie."

He froze, composing himself before speaking. "Hey, Cathy. You ready to order?"

"Not sure." She pursed her lips, an icy smile forming on her face. "You seem to be in the middle of a conversation."

"Nah, it's fine. Go ahead. What can I get you?"

"Medium hot chocolate with whipped cream, please," she said hurriedly.

"Alright. Three fifty-seven."

She paid, raising her eyebrows at his left hand for a moment, as if she were surprised. "Well, I won't keep you-"

"There's not a line, sweetheart. I can talk for a bit."

"No, I _really_ shouldn't. You're clearly busy with other things."

"Really, I'm not-"

"It's fine, I get it. I'll go wait over there, and I'll see you at home, alright?"

"Cathy-"

She turned on her heel, waiting by the pick-up counter without another word. He was about to follow her when another customer walked up. By the time they'd ordered, Cathy was walking out the door, not even glancing over her shoulder.

* * *

When he got home later that afternoon, she was hanging their stockings over the fireplace, the ones his mum had made for them last year.

"I'm home," he called.

"In the living room," she replied.

He walked in, eyeing the stockings. "Aw, I wanted to hang up my stocking! You should have told me you were doing that."

"I'm sorry," she said, clearly anything but. "You should have let me know."

"Well, I wasn't sure when we were-"

"Just like you should have let me know you were going to flirt with every single woman who came through the shop today."

He sighed. "So that's what this is about, is it?"

"Well, Jamie, how do you think it makes me feel to see my husband practically throwing himself at women he's never met?" She turned to face him, her arms folded.

"Oh, I was not-"

"You may as well have been! And you could have told me you were doing that."

"You didn't mind last Friday."

"That was on accident. You weren't trying to seduce those women. I'm shocked you didn't take off your ring."

Jamie sighed again, looking at the stockings before putting his hands on her shoulders. "Cathy, what does the red stocking say?"

Cathy rolled her eyes. "Jamie, I can read, and I really-"

"What does it say?"

"It says your name, _James_."

"Right. And what does the green stocking say?"

"Catherine."

"Right."

"Jamie, I don't understand what-"

"Now, is there another stocking up there?"

"…No…"

"And it's going to stay that way. See, James figures that he needs more money to be able to provide for himself and Catherine, since she's all done with her job for a few weeks." He pulled her closer, their foreheads resting together. "And James knows he can get a few extra quid if he does a little flirting. But James is very proud that he gets to hang beside Catherine every night, because James loves Catherine very much, and that's not going to change."

She smiled a little. "That's…very sweet of you."

"I'd never try to make you jealous. You know that."

Her smile grew a bit. "Thank you for thinking of me, but let me know when you decide to do that next time, okay?"

"Okay."

She glanced at the stockings before turning her gaze back to him. "Catherine very much enjoys being right beside James, as well. She wants him to know she loves him just as much."

"He knows." He kissed her softly. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."


	19. Day 18: Cookies, Milk

25 Days of Camie

_Day 18 - Cookies (Milk)_

* * *

_Thursday, December 18th_

Jamie came home from work to find three big plastic tubs of cookies on the dining room table.

"My mum came by today," Cathy explained. "She wanted to make sure we were all set for the holidays."

"Good God! This could feed a circus!" Jamie took one out, stuffing it in his mouth. "But they're delicious."

"Mum has a special recipe." Cathy giggled. "We'll have plenty when we go over to Stu and Leanne's on Christmas, won't we?"

"We can take half a tub." Jamie hugged one possessively to him. "There's no way I'm sharing all of these."

"Jamie, we can't eat them all! Your mum gives us enough ice cream and chocolate as it is."

"Sure we can! We can live in our room and just eat these for a couple months." He shrugged, walking over to the fridge and getting out the milk jug. "I think it'd be fun."

"Sure it would." Cathy shook her head. "We'd have too many sugar highs and crash after it was all over."

"Just a suggestion." He downed a glass of milk, wiping his lip with his shirt sleeve. "But if you really want, we can bring some to Stu and Leanne's."

"Just one tub." She smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "There's enough in each to feed at least ten people."

He grinned, kissing her forehead. "So we can still try to live off two tubs?"

"We'll see." Her smile widened as he kissed her. "Mmm."

"I taste good, huh?" he asked, pulling away.

"Cinnamon."

"If I only eat cookies, then I'll taste like cinnamon every day. Wouldn't you like that?"

"I'd like it better if you just enjoyed the fact we have this many and kiss me again."

He arched an eyebrow. "Aren't you demanding."

"That's why you love me."

"Very true." He kissed her again, whispering against her lips. "So very true."


	20. Day 19: Santa

25 Days of Camie

_Day 19 - Santa_

* * *

_Friday, December 19th_

Cathy had a stuffed _Polar Express_ Santa from Hallmark that she'd gotten when she was eleven. He sat on the arm of the couch, jingle bell in hand and new batteries in the box in his side. Jamie thought it was a bit creepy, but she adored it.

"He doesn't have a mouth."

"It's hidden by his beard."

"His voice is scary."

"They probably couldn't get Tom Hanks when they did the recording."

"Why is he wearing a dress?"

"It's part of his suit! And besides, he's adorable."

"No, he's not. Whenever I try to fall asleep watching rugby, he stares at me. Can't you move him to the storage closet or something?"

"He's fine where he is." She shoved his arm lightly. "Why can't you appreciate him?"

"Because I'm losing my wife to a plush Santa that spews inspirational Christmas messages."

"Oh, you are not."

"I am so." He pulled her to his side, pressing his cheek into her hair. "You probably give him little kisses and back rubs when I'm at work."

"Jamie, that's disgusting!" She giggled, looking up at him. "You know I love the movie and Emma bought it for me."

"So you're not seeing him behind my back?"

"No, I'm not, Jamie." She shook her head. "Honestly…"

"Let me have fun once in a while, yeah?" He cupped the side of her face, kissing her. "Can't I tease you about things?"

"No."

"Well, that's just too bad." He pinched her bottom, causing her to squeal.

"Jamie!" She swung her arm, missing as he jumped out of her reach. "Hold still, I'm going to GET you!" They ran around their flat, laughing and tickling each other.


	21. Day 20: Sled

25 Days of Camie

_Day 20 - Sled_

* * *

_Saturday, December 20th_

Jamie, Cathy, Emma and Fred took Gina and Nick out to the big hill to go sledding. The men were, of course, much more into getting wet and cold, and made an extra effort to land in piles of snow and start the occasional snowball fight with the kids. After a few hours, they went back to Jamie and Cathy's flat for cookies and hot chocolate.

Emma and Cathy were playing with the twins, giving Fred and Jamie the chance to relax. Jamie found himself watching Cathy, his heart fluttering every time he saw the dimples in her cheeks appear. Nick and Gina had decided to play Tickle Fight, and the two of them were torturing Cathy, Emma trying unsuccessfully to pry them off of her.

"You all here, mate?"

Jamie almost dropped his mug, jumping in his seat. "Oh…sorry." He turned to Fred. "Were you saying something?"

Fred laughed. "You're crazy for her, aren't you?"

Jamie felt himself blush as he scratched the back of his neck. "Maybe."

"You guys thinking about having a little one?"

"Er…I'm not sure how she'd feel about it." He shrugged. "We've never really talked about it. I mean, I'd love to have kids, but…I don't know about her."

"Why don't you ask her?"

"I…I don't want it to be awkward, is all. I mean, what if she says she doesn't…or she won't want…"

"The only way you're going to know is if you ask. It'll get your mum off your back, won't it?"

"I suppose."

"Trust me, you wanna talk to her about it." He nodded over to Emma, who had finally managed to subdue their children. "Emma walked in one night and said, 'I'd like to have kids.' And I said, 'Okay.' And nine months later, we had those two rascals."

"I guess…I don't want her to say no."

"She married you, didn't she?"

"Doesn't mean she'll want me to be the father of her children."

"What's the alternative? Never knowing? Risk losing her to some tall, dark stranger?"

"Not helping, mate."

"Sorry." Fred took a sip from his own mug. "I'm just saying, it's better to say something to her. Chances are she's going to want to have your kids. She committed herself to you, didn't she?"

Jamie nodded, turning back to look at his wife. She was eating a cookie, smiling at her niece and nephew with a far-off look in her eyes. He knew he definitely wanted to have kids with her, but he didn't know what was holding him back from asking her. Fred was right; he had to take the chance and ask. She wouldn't storm out and leave him.

As soon as they were alone again, they lay on the couch, kissing and cuddling. There were several moments when he almost brought up what was on his mind, but every time he avoided it.

"You alright, sweetie?"

"Of course I am." He pulled her closer, kissing her harder. "Everything's perfect."

He didn't know that, a little over a month from now, he'd be in this exact same position, this time with the knowledge that Cathy was pregnant.


	22. Day 21: Snowman

25 Days of Camie

_Day 21 - Snowman_

* * *

_Sunday, December 21st_

Since Cathy and Jamie didn't have a yard, they had to improvise with Jamie's wish for a snowman. Aside from the singing snowmen his mother gave him every year from Hallmark, he'd been working on one across the street every night after work. He was finally finished with it, one of his old knitted hats sitting on its head.

"That was sweet of you to build," Cathy said, looking out the window. "I know the kids in the building love that he's there for them to play with."

"Well, I haven't built a snowman in years." Jamie stood behind her, his arms around her waist and his chin on the crown on her head. "Figured it would be nice since the walk to the park is a bit lengthy, especially with the cold and all."

"We should have Jack, Daisy, Nick and Gina over. I'm sure they'd love nothing more than to make another one with their Uncle Jamie."

"Why not? I can call them up and see if Stu and Emma are busy. And I'm going to drag you out with us so you can help." He spun her around, giving her a lingering kiss on the forehead.

"I'm not much of a snow person, you know that."

"So? My snowman's going to need a girlfriend. Gets lonesome out in the cold." He kissed her nose. "He'll appreciate that you were able to help."

"You mean you will."

"Same thing really," he said, finally kissing her properly.


	23. Day 22: Jingle Bells, Sleigh Bells

25 Days of Camie

_Day 22 - Jingle Bells/Sleigh Bells_

**(somewhat based on this lovely drabble by Gina: **** post/38432155165/drabble-ish-thingy-camie-for-lizziethewanderer582)**

* * *

_Monday, December 22nd_

Cathy finally managed to drag Jamie out of bed after their nap, since she still had a few chores to finish up that day. They ordered in, eating at the island instead of the kitchen table, the radio on in the background.

"Jingle Bell Rock" started playing, and Jamie didn't miss a beat, getting up and singing along. Cathy giggled, shaking her head.

"Jamie, finish your lo mein-"

"What a briiiight time, it's the riiiiight time to rock the niiight awaaaaay." He pulled her to her feet, twirling her. "You know you wanna sing wiiiith."

"No I dooooon't."

He dipped her, eliciting a yelp of surprise from his wife. "Yes, you do!"

She laughed, giving in. "Alright, alright, I do!"

"I thought you'd say that." He winked and pulled her closer. "You need to let loose for a little bit, Bradley."

And she did. She followed his lead for the next five songs; they went from rocking out to swing dancing to simply swaying in each other's arms. They returned to their food, which had cooled off by now.

"And now we're going to have to reheat everything," she said, sighing.

"Well, that's fine." He grabbed the cluster of bells that was hanging on one of the cabinet handles, giving it a jingle. "Gives us more time to dance."

She shook her head again, kissing him. "You really are something else, Jamie."


	24. Day 23: Carols

25 Days of Camie

_Day 23 - Carols_

* * *

_Tuesday, December 23rd_

"Mommy, I'm cold. Can we go home now?"

"Susie, we still have some neighbors to visit. It won't be much longer."

"Han, maybe we should head back now. Temp's getting colder."

Hannah looked long and hard at her husband. "We still have an entire level to go. Let's just sing one carol per door, and then we'll go home, okay?"

Jake shook his head. "Don't get angry if my lips get chapped and I can't sing."

"I have chapstick, don't worry."

Ten minutes later, they came to the last door. Susie was huddling between her parents, her nose red and her teeth chattering. Hannah knocked on the door, rubbing her daughter's arms.

"We haven't done 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas' yet. We'll sing that, alright?"

The door opened, and the three of them opened their mouths to sing, but no sound came out. Six pairs of eyes widened, mouths agape at what they saw. There was an awkward silence as they stared at the figure framed in the threshold.

"Oh, dear." Cathy Bradley held a wool blanket haphazardly around her body, bare shoulders indicating she wasn't wearing anything else. "Um…hello…"

Hannah was the first to come to her senses. "We're so sorry, dear, we can come back later if…you're busy…"

"Would you like to come in?" Cathy's cheeks were steadily growing redder. "I can run upstairs and grab something-"

"We're just here to sing. We've been going around the building, and you're our last stop. But if this is a bad time-"

"Cathy, who's at the door?" Jamie sauntered down the hallway, holding a pillow in front of his groin. "If it's my mum, tell her to sod off because we were right in the middle of - oh, fuck."

Jake covered Susie's eyes, his own widening further. Hannah felt her cheeks become warm.

"Jamie, dear, we…we have some carolers."

"We can come back later," Hannah insisted. "We're obviously intruding-"

"No, no, it's not your fault." Cathy laughed nervously. "You…had no way of knowing."

Susie squirmed out of her father's hold. "Can we sing now? I'm cold."

"As am I," Jamie replied.

As awkward as it was, Hannah and her family sang a somewhat-hurried rendition of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" before closing the door. As they were walking away, she could have sworn she heard giggling behind the door, followed by the sounds of snogging and quiet moaning, and she could only imagine what would come after that. Jamie and Cathy did find the whole thing funny, and sure enough, Hannah had been right; Jamie, feeling impatient, had dove right back in and pushed Cathy against the door, kissing her deeply and picking her up to carry her back to the couch.

Of course, every time the two families would run into each other, there would be an awkward silence…


	25. Day 24: Chestnuts

25 Days of PolarBear and Camie

_Day 24 - Chestnuts_

* * *

_Wednesday, December 24th - Christmas Eve_

"Leeds, West Yorkshire, England…"

The S-1 was hovering above the small town, elves dropping down to deliver gifts. Arthur descended very carefully from a rope, as well, Merida holding his hand as he tried not to hyperventilate. They had about ten minutes, and luckily Arthur and Merida had been assigned to one building this time.

"At least there aren't as many," Merida said, hopping onto the roof. "Almost didn't make it back in Copenhagen."

"Right." Arthur pulled his jumper tighter around him. "And there are actual steps this time around."

Merida giggled, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Let's get to it then, Mr. Claus."

They started at the top, using their HoHos to creep in and place gifts under trees and in stockings. Steve had fashioned a special bow so Merida could put her archer skills to use. She moved much faster than most elves, and had gotten her assignment done with about five minutes to spare.

She waited for Arthur at the last door of the building, wondering if he needed her help. She was about to radio Bryony to check in when something caught her eye. She peered into the nearby window, rubbing the frost away to get a better look.

Inside looked much like the other flats she'd just visited, with the fireplace on and a Christmas tree lit up. A young couple sat on the floor in front of the fire, snuggled together under a wool blanket. There were no children here; the address wasn't marked on the list.

The man had somewhat-messy brown hair and a wide smirk, his arm slung around the woman next to him. She was laughing at something he'd said, looking up at him with bright eyes, her hair looking red in the firelight. He pulled her even closer, giving her a loving kiss and resting their foreheads together.

"You having a good Christmas?" he asked.

"Of course. It's our first real one together." She gave him a peck on the cheek. "And you're sure my family wasn't too overbearing tonight? I know they can get nosy…"

He snorted. "Please. I'm used to it. And I think crab legs is a great Christmas dinner." He chuckled, kissing her again. "Happy Christmas, love."

"Happy Christmas."

"Merida?"

Merida yelped, turning around. "Arthur…hi. Done already?"

"Yep. You ready to head back up?"

Merida hesitated, turning back to the scene framed in the window. "I…suppose."

"Everything alright?"

She nodded. "I just…I wish we could do something for them."

Arthur joined her at the window, looking in. "They don't have kids, do they?"

"No…but…" She looked down at her snow-covered boots, blushing. "Look at them, Arthur. They…they remind me of…"

Arthur's eyes softened, a smile growing on his face. "Yeah…they do." He took her hand, winking. "I think I know exactly what we can do for them."

* * *

Jamie and Cathy Bradley had no idea what happened the night of Christmas Eve of their first Christmas as a married couple. They had been sitting in their flat by the fire when they heard a loud thump outside. They went to check what it was, finding nothing and going back in.

When they arrived in the living room, there were chestnuts in a kettle over the fire, crackling and popping, despite the fact that it was electric. And the Christmas tree was now positively radiant, an ethereal glow surrounding it. There was a note on the hearth that read: "Happy First Christmas, may the rest be magical".

While they were certainly alarmed with what had happened, Jamie and Cathy figured they weren't in any real danger, and accepted their gift without asking questions. Arthur and Merida made it back to the S-1 in time, both with matching smiles.


	26. Day 25: Christmas Music, Movies

25 Days of Camie

_Day 25 - Christmas Music/Movies_

* * *

_Thursday, December 25th - Christmas Day_

Jamie and Cathy had spent Christmas Even at her parents' house with her entire extended family. He hadn't met most of them, so of course they were curious about him and asked him plenty of uncomfortable questions. They'd had crab legs for dinner, something he hadn't been expecting (though it had been a rather pleasant meal). And there had been the joking pressure from Bob, wanting to know exactly what had been transpiring since he'd seen them last.

He hadn't disliked it. Cathy's family was nice enough, and he'd gotten a few presents and giftcards from her parents (which was always a good thing). But if he was honest, his favorite part had been going to church.

Cathy had been recruited to sing with the choir, since they were short a few members due to the stomach flu going around. Nick and Gina were part of the children's chorus, and Fred played the piano, so Jamie was sandwiched between Cathy's mother and Emma in a very-packed pew for an hour and fifteen minutes. But he didn't mind, not really. Nick and Gina were certainly cute in their matching sweaters, and he'd had no idea Fred was that gifted with anything.

But for him, the most wonderful thing about it was watching his wife. Her face was positively radiant through each song, and even with several other adults and the rows of children singing, he could pick out her voice; it was quiet, but it was clear and sweet and made his heart swell. He never remembered enjoying a church service this much.

As they were leaving, he looked over to the spot on the front lawn that had been reserved for the live nativity scene. Ariel was right in front, peering at the baby doll that was bundled in several layers of blankets. As if she knew he was looking, she turned around, giving him a knowing smile. He waved, remembering what she'd said to him a few weeks ago. And with this in mind, he had the perfect idea of how to spend Christmas night with Cathy.

They went over to Joyce's for Christmas day, spending the morning with Stuart, Leanne and the kids. Jamie took his leave early afternoon, not saying much about where he was going or why he had to leave so soon. Cathy was there the rest of the day, watching Christmas specials with her in-laws before getting a ride home with Stuart.

"Has he said anything else to you?" he asked.

"He texted me a while ago. 'Go upstairs as soon as you get home.' Nothing else."

"Knowing Jamie, he's probably going all out." He chuckled, pulling into the front drive of her building. "You'll have to let me know what happens."

"Don't worry, I will."

* * *

"Jamie? I'm home." Cathy shut the door behind her, removing her coat, hat, scarf and gloves. "I'm going upstairs now."

She was answered with silence, but as soon as she ascended the stairs and closed the door to their room, she got another text.

_I know for a fact you're not dressed properly for the occasion. Why not check the closet?_

"Oh, Jamie…" She sighed, opening the closet and glancing quickly at her side. Hanging in front was one of her formal dresses, the white and pink one she hardly ever wore. She changed quickly, texting him back to let him know she had done so. The reply came almost instantly.

_Head into the kitchen. I have a surprise for you, my darling. 3_

Cathy nervously made her way down the stairs, poking her head into the kitchen and feeling her breath catch in her throat. The entire room was lit with little plastic tea candles, with two large real candlesticks sitting in the middle of the kitchen table. On opposite ends were two plates of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and cooked broccoli, two glasses of water in front of them. Jamie was standing by the island in his pinstripe suit, his signature smirk spreading across his face.

"Thought I'd do something special for our first official Christmas together." He walked toward her, taking her hand. "What do you think?"

"I think you need to let me surprise you once in a while, James Andrew Bradley."

"And why's that?"

She shrugged. "You're always doing these elaborate things for me. I feel bad that I'm not able to do the same."

"Don't ever feel that way, alright?" He squeezed her hand gently. "I enjoy doing things for you."

"But-"

He cut her off, kissing her long and hard. "Just shut up and enjoy your chicken, _Catherine Lorina Bradley_."

She didn't entirely shut up - sitting in silence would have been a bit strange - but she did enjoy the chicken, and the other food as well. He'd also gone out to the supermarket and gotten a cheesecake, and they each had a bit before clearing their places and heading into the living room, which was also filled with tea candles.

"So, who gets to open their present first?" he asked.

"You're letting me choose?"

"Yep. You wanna go first?"

"No, you can." She walked over to the tree, picking up the little package wrapped in Disney Princess wrapping paper. "Thought you'd like this design. It's very classy."

"Oh, is it ever." He rolled his eyes slightly.

"Just open it, would you?"

"Alright, alright. Don't have a conniption." He tore the wrapping paper, a long box in his hands. He opened it, revealing the charm bracelet she'd bought for him. The snowflake charm was now accompanied by a small flower earring, both swinging as he lifted the bracelet into his hand.

"I know you like bracelets, so I thought this would be nice." She swallowed. "It's…it's not supposed to be a joke, okay, honey? I figured you could collect charms from your mum and Stuart and your friends and…yeah." She looked at his blank face. "Are…are you going to say something?"

He turned his vacant expression to her, a smile tugging at his mouth. "I think…this is one of the best Christmas presents I've ever gotten."

"You mean it?"

"I mean it."

"You're not just saying that?"

"I'm not just saying that."

"You honestly love it?"

"I honestly love it."

"Are you just-"

"Cathy, I'm telling the truth!" He pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead. "I think it's wonderful." He held out his left wrist. "You mind?"

"No…of course not." She took the bracelet from him, trying not to shake as she fastened it. He shook his arm, watching the two little charms clink together.

"It's you and me," he said with a smile. "Can't wait to put more on here." He got up, retrieving the only other present that was under their tree. "And of course, this is from me. Sorry the wrapping isn't as awesome as yours."

"Oh, I'm sure I'll love it just the same." She opened the blue wrapping, a small red box in her hands. A slightly-darker red ribbon decorated with snowflakes was wrapped around the lid. "Don't tell me this is one of those games where I have to open several boxes in succession, is it?"

"Didn't think of that." He smirked. "But now I know what to do for your birthday."

"Don't you dare, that's the last thing I need-"

She fell silent as soon as she removed the top of the box. Inside were red and gold-wrapped chocolates, surrounding a silver snowflake pendant inset with diamonds. She carefully lifted it out, watching it sparkle in the soft candlelight. Closer inspection of the back revealed a rose-gold heart in the middle.

"Because we never have enough chocolates," Jamie whispered.

"This is…beautiful…thank you so much."

"The little heart on the back means 'I am loved', and you are. Loved. So…"

She averted her gaze, biting her lip. "Thank you," she said again. "You…you wouldn't mind fastening it…would you, please?"

She turned her back to him, lifting her hair out of the way. She shivered at the slight cold of the chain, and then again at the feel of Jamie's fingers brushing her skin as he fastened the clasp. She was about to let her hair fall when she felt goosebumps raise on her arms due to her husband gently pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered against the skin of her neck, kissing his way to her cheek. She slowly turned around, letting go of her hair to grip his shoulders. "And I love you."

"I love you, too." She pulled him closer, kissing him deeply. She heard him groan softly, and she smiled against his lips. "You like that?" she murmured, separating slightly.

"Yes." He kissed her lightly. "And I like that your necklace looks rather stunning on you."

She glanced down, fiddling with the pendant. "You really thinks so?" she asked, blushing.

"I know it does. Just like I know that I've had a great Christmas this year."

"As have I."

They shared a smile and another kiss before Cathy glanced out the window. "Jamie, look at the courtyard!"

The large cobbled terrace behind the building was surrounded by trees that were covered in Christmas lights, and was made all the more beautiful by the lightly-falling snow and the light pink color of the sky.

"You wanna go out?" Jamie asked.

"Well…I think we should change." She looked down at her bare legs. "I'm not too sure this is proper attire for outside."

"True." He arched an eyebrow. "How about we wear our pajamas instead?"

"You serious?"

He pulled her to her feet, leading her to the stairs. "When am I ever anything but?"*

* * *

Ten minutes later, the two were in the courtyard, taking a walk and admiring the beauty of the snow-covered Christmas lights. They tried catching snowflakes, but weren't very successful, and soon went back to enjoying each other's company. Until Jamie had the idea of picking Cathy up and spinning her around.

"Jamie, what are you doing?"

"Having fun!"

"PUT ME DOWN!"

"No thanks."

"JAMIE!"

He set her down. "What?" He looked at her innocently. "I put you down, didn't I?"

She swatted at his arm playfully. "You're an ass."

"But that's why you love me."

"Yes, it is."

He pulled her into his arms, pressing their foreheads together. "This has been one of the best Christmases I've ever had. And I'm still in awe that you're here, that you're my…my wife." He blinked several times, chuckling under his breath. "I honestly must be the luckiest man in the world right now."

"As lovely as that is, you sound like someone in one of those awful Hallmark movies."

"Cathy, way to ruin the moment!"

"That's why you love me." She smiled up at him.

"Yes, it is." He kissed her nose. "But seriously, sometimes I'll wake up at night and see you're right there, and I'll just…I'll lie awake for a while, marveling that you're sleeping in my arms and…" He trailed off, watching the snow collect on the toe of his boot. "Sorry. I…I'll stop."

"Hey…" Cathy lifted his chin, her smile still in place. "That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me. And I, for one, am so very thankful that we're together. No matter how cheesy this whole scenario may be."

He laughed. "You honestly think being out here and talking about our relationship is that bad?"

"No…not really."

"Not really, huh?" He sighed. "Well, then, I suppose I'll just head back in and go to bed. I was ready to snog you senseless and everything, but I guess if you think that's cliche, then I won't do it."

"Oh, knock it off." She kissed his nose, giggling. "I was teasing…for the most part."

Jamie rolled his eyes. "What am I going to do with you?"

She shrugged. "Kissing me sounds awfully nice."

"That it does." He leaned in. "Happy Christmas, Cathy."

"Happy Christmas, Jamie."


End file.
